Rotator X-8
The Rotator X-8 is a Lanard blaster that was released in 2011 under the Total X-Stream Air series. It comes packaged with eight X-Series Darts. Details The Rotator is a revolver-style blaster that holds up to eight darts at a time. Its cylinder is rotated clockwise on trigger pull, making a loud clicking noise upon pulling back the trigger all the way due to the release of the hammer. The priming rod extends down through the handle of the blaster, similar to a Nerf Triple Torch, Jolt EX-1, or Triad EX-3. A slot to load darts is seen on the left side of the cylinder. The cylinder itself is too short to be compatible with Nerf brand darts, making cross-compatibility somewhat difficult. Shortening Nerf darts using some sort of cutting device will allow them to become compatible, but this method is not recommended. A guard is seen over the hammer on the blaster, which can still be pressed down by placing one's finger on the side of the guard. The hammer activates when the blaster is fired, but serves no functional purpose and is purely for aesthetics. When pulling the trigger back, the blaster fires before the cylinder rotates when pulling the trigger very slowly. This could increase the chance of dry-firing, so it is recommended to pull the trigger at a rather quick pace. History The Rotator was re-released as an Air Zone blaster, under the name Rotator X-8 Revolver; it was also re-released under the Clear-X sub-series, and later under the Huntsman series. Color schemes The Rotator X-8 has been released with the following color schemes: *Light orange, teal, and orange *Orange, black, and yellow *Huntsman (tan, gray, and red) *Clear-X (clear plastic, lime green, and orange) *Air Zone Rotator X-8 Revolver (white, black, yellow, and orange) Modification The Rotator X-8 is notable in that it has some modification potential and quick and effective air restrictor removal results. When the rather large air restrictors are successfully removed, the performance increases to at least a thirty foot minimum, meeting range claims on the blaster's packaging. Blaster sets The Rotator X-8 and Boomstick blaster set includes a Rotator X-8, a Boomstick, enough ammunition to fill both blasters, and a small ammunition storage case. Trivia *The shell of the Rotator X-8 makes it an incredibly popular choice for painting and steampunk designs; as a result, it is in relatively high demand for dart blasters for that reason alone in steampunk and cosplay communities. *A French brand called Mondo released a knock-off of the blaster titled the A-Force X-Rotator. This variant is commonly confused for the actual product, however the difference is that the Rotator X-8 has not been released in the red color scheme seen with the X-Rotator. As well, just as the Air Zone line is exclusive to Toys "R" Us, it is possible that Mondo have some sort of French license to market the Rotator X-8 under their own brand. Gallery References Category:Lanard blasters Category:Total X-Stream Air blasters Category:Huntsman blasters Category:Air Zone blasters Category:Re-released blasters Category:Dart blasters Category:Single-fire blasters Category:Revolver-style blasters